Freekeh

Freekeh (sometimes spelled frikeh) or farik (Arabic: فريكة‎ / ALA-LC: farīkah) (pronounced free-kah) is a cereal food made from green wheat that goes through a roasting process. It is an ancient Arabian dish that is especially popular in Levantine, Arabian Peninsula, Jordanian, and Egyptian cuisine, as well as in North African and other neighboring cuisines.

The wheat is harvested while the grains are yellow and the seeds still are soft; it then is piled and sun-dried. The piles are carefully set on fire so only the straw and chaff burn, not the seeds. In these controlled conditions, the high moisture content of the seeds prevents them from burning. Next, the roasted wheat is subjected to threshing and sun-drying to make the flavor, texture, and color uniform. This threshing or rubbing process of the grains gives this food its name, farīk or “rubbed”. Finally, the seeds are cracked into smaller pieces so they resemble a green bulgur.